Archive for the ‘Quit Smoking’ Category

Dangers Of Smoking Video

Many people today are vaguely aware of the many dangers of smoking, from lung cancer to bronchitis.  However, the real truth is that there are many, many parts of one’s body, many members of one’s family, and many aspects of one’s life that are hit hard by the effects of cigarette smoking.

Consider these areas of the body that are damaged by smoking.  Your skin is usually touched by premature aging and wrinkles, as one of the common effects of smoking is poor blood circulation and a loss of oxygen, both of which are needed for healthy skin.  A smoker’s mouth usually has discolored and stained teeth and plaque, and teeth can actually become loose as the gums dry up and become brittle.

Cancers of the lips, mouth, throat and larynx are common effects of smoking, as are constant sore throats, a reduced sense of taste, and breath that smells of smoke.  That poor blood circulation means cold hands and especially cold fingertips, which are usually stained of tar.

Lung cancer is not the only effect of cigarette smoking that hits the respiratory system.  Most smokers are more prone to bronchitis, a constant shortness of breath and persistent cough with sputum, and are more likely to get colds, flu, pneumonia, and asthma.  Smoking also complicates tuberculosis and virtually any other respiratory condition one can get.

The effects of cigarette smoking also reach out to those around you as well.  Those who are exposed to second-hand smoke inhale about 15% the amount of nicotine as those who are active smokers, so for every ten cigarettes you have around your children, they may as well have smoked one a half cigarettes themselves.

Even pets have been found to suffer from increased health problems due to their owners smoking!  Many have respiratory diseases and cancers, all a part of the effects of cigarette smoking.

As for the rest of the body, the effects of smoking are many, including blood diseases, decreased circulation to the feet and toes, and difficulty recovering from wounds.  Really, when you think about it, there is not one place on the human body that does not suffer, and suffer greatly, from smoking’s effects.  Really, is there any reason why it’s not time to quit smoking for good?

In the previous article Natural Ways To Quit Smoking methods to naturally quit smoking were discussed such as cold turkey, herbal remedies and hypnosis. These aren’t the only methods to quit smoking naturally. Quitting Smoking successfully requires putting an end to your bodies dependence on all the chemicals that have artificially been added to the tobacco as well as the nicotine. All you are doing by using nicotine patches or gum is changing the delivery method of how you receive your nicotine fix. They get you off smoking, but make you dependent on the patch or gum instead. So wouldn’t it make more sense to use a method that doesn’t deliver any of these chemicals at all? If you feel that quitting smoking without the aid of chemicals is a good idea then you could try using acupuncture or EFT.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that uses needles inserted into meridian points in the body. TCM sees the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking as the result of impaired liver function caused by nicotine addiction. Your liver will have become stimulated artificially by the chemicals in the tobacco and ceasing to smoke will temporarily mean that you experience a lack of liver energy. Your withdrawal symptoms are caused by this drop in liver energy.

Acupuncture works by stimulating the liver function to compensate for the lack of stimulation caused by withdrawal of the tobacco. This helps to ease the unpleasant symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and after a while the liver will resume normal function.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

EFT is similar to acupuncture but has the advantage of being able to be applied by the smoker to themselves. Instead of inserting needles in to meridian points you tap on them with your finger tips. Whilst you are tapping away you will need to put you attention on the feelings of anxiety that you experience as a result of trying to quit smoking. As you carry out the tapping process you perform a series of mental exercises in order to focus your intent on your desire not to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This has a great de-stressing effect on the nervous system.

EFT can be learnt in as little a five minutes and can be performed anyplace and at anytime. It is now used by many practitioners around the world to help people with issues such as anxiety, fears and phobias. EFT has been proven to be successful at relieving anxiety and it is due to this that EFT has become so effective at helping people quit smoking by helping them get through the withdrawal symptoms.

Please visit this link for more information on how to naturally quit smoking

There are countless techniques that claim to help you quit smoking. But do they work? Following is an overview of some of the more common ways to quit. Find out for yourself if they can live up to their promises.

Medications

Many people who decide to stop smoking give nicotine patches a try. They work by slowly decreasing the amount of nicotine that you ingest each day. This helps to ease the symptoms of withdrawal once nicotine is gone from your system completely.

A hot new pharmaceutical product is Chantix, a quit smoking pill. This medication causes the release of dopamine, a feel good chemical in your brain. Your brain gets the sensation that nicotine is doing its thing. Using this form of treatment, withdrawal symptoms are virtually nonexistent.

It’s important to note that using medications to help you stop smoking isn’t always the complete answer. The reason is that it’s not only the physical addiction that’s the problem. Smoking is also psychologically addictive, which is equally difficult to deal with.

Cold Turkey

This is one of the most popular methods among people who decide to quit smoking. Essentially, it involves simply quitting, without any gradual tapering off or pharmaceutical assistance. Even though it’s a favorite technique, it isn’t always the best choice.

Most people who smoke are addicted to the large quantities of nicotine that are contained in cigarettes. It’s an extremely addictive substance, and if you don’t get your fix, you’ll exhibit withdrawal symptoms right away. Quitting cold turkey heightens the withdrawal effect, and your symptoms will go on for at least two weeks.

The hard part is to learn how to take your mind off these symptoms when they come over you. Smokers usually have too much difficulty with this approach and end up succumbing to the craving.

Substituting

This method typically replaces the act of smoking with a substitute. Many people have found success by sucking on hard candy or chewing gum when the urge to smoke hits. This can help ease your oral craving by keeping your mouth occupied.

Others have substituted certain activities such as exercise in place of smoking. When they crave a cigarette, they simply go for a run or get on an exercise bike.

Any ex-smoker will tell you how hard it is to quit. And anyone who has been successful will probably tell you that it took several attempts to quit smoking for good. However, it’s important that you don’t give up. After all, your life is on the line.